Courage
by StarfireFowl
Summary: Alice has no courage, Lily won't take initiative, and Marlene wants to do something about it. LilyJames AliceFrank


A/N: This is a late birthday gift for my LJ friend Nat, and an early one for my LJ friend Izzie. Hope you both enjoy!

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"I have no courage," Alice declares, throwing her textbooks onto her bedside table. Lily looks up from here astronomy essay, watching as the blonde throws her coat into the closest. "None. None, none, none at all."

"What'd Frank do this time?" Marlene is combing her wild brown hair and even frustrated Alice knows that she's only even trying to brush it to procrastinate from another essay.

"Nothing!" Alice practically screams this, sitting on her bed and hitting one of her pillows against her head.

"And what's wrong with that?" Lily asks. Alice lets out a loud groan, hitting her head again.

"I swear if he puts one hand where you don't want him too, I will make sure he never has children." Marlene threatens with her hairbrush. Alice stops hitting her head for a second to laugh.

"Please don't hurt him. It's more me than him," Alice begs, her eyes focusing on the doorway that she had just walked through seconds before.

"Are you going to tell us or are we going to have to make up wild, imaginative stories about what you and Frank were really just doing," Lily smirks, completing her essay with an elegant swish of her quill.

"Well, you know how Frank and I always kiss goodbye before classes?" Alice asks, earning a groan from Marlene.

"Yes! It's so cute, it's sickly!"

"Well, last week, Professor McGonagall was walking by as we were about to, so I told Frank that I owe him a kiss. It's been a whole _week_ and yet, I can't do it!" Alice lies back on her bed, shutting her eyes for a few seconds. "I have no courage."

"I don't understand why you won't just kiss him. It's not that difficult. If I ever decide to tell James I like him, I'd kiss him every chance I got… Marlene, you heard none of that." Lily casts a glare in Marlene's direction, Marlene shaking her head.

"Was that the wind?" Marlene chuckles. "Alice, it really isn't that hard. The next time you see Frank, just shove him against the nearest wall and work your magic."

"I don't even want to think of that in a different context. And truthfully, I'd love to shove him against the wall, but I can't. My common sense is saying 'No! Don't!'" Alice sighs.

"If James even thought of trying what you two were just describing, I think I'd die." Lily groans now, regaining her spot as the angsty, boy-crazy one of the trio.

"Of happiness or anger?" Alice chides.

"You know what?" Marlene starts, leaning forward and looking directly at her fellow roommates. "I have a deal for both of you. If Alice gets enough courage to give Frank his surprise kiss, then Lily must get up the nerve to do the same to James by tomorrow at eight. And if neither of you pull it off, I get to decide a just punishment."

"Marlene!" Both cry out in unison, but Alice smiles.

"This could work," Alice says. "All I need is a little courage."

"All I need is a little brain damage." Lily groans, lying back on her bed.

"And James Potter," Marlene chides.

"And the punishment?" Alice knows she probably shouldn't be worrying about the punishment- how hard could a little courage be- but some part of her brain wants to know, just in case Lily messes up.

"I dunno. Something bad. I'm only going to bother to think one up if I have to." Marlene sets down her hairbrush, finally moving on to her essay. Alice breathes deeply once before lying back on her bed. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

z

Alice stands in front of the mirror above the bathroom sink. She plays with her dull, blonde strands, attempting to her hair look like something today. Somehow, it refuses to cooperate and Alice decides to simply throw it in a ponytail, making the smudge of chocolate on the collar of her robes stand out. She could always tell Frank she tried to look pretty for him, but today was just one of those days that Alice was clearly not pretty.

Frank never really cares anyway. He still kisses her if she's sick as all hell and looking like she's about to pass out. It is one trait she enjoys greatly about him. Kissing has always, always made her feel better about the world.

He's waiting for her at the bottom of the stairway, looking like he's about to fall asleep against the wall. She watches his eyes struggle to stay open while he thinks, knowing he was up late against the past night. She's told him time and time again that not getting enough sleep is never going to help him. It's not like he does anything either. A productive boy would at least do his homework. Frank is not productive though- he's a procrastinator.

"Hello, Frank." Alice smiles and his eyes shoot up to look at her. She loves that reaction.

"Hi, Alice."

"How much sleep did you get?"

"Alice." He says it in a not so threatening tone, but she knows he doesn't want her to guess. This is a routine for them.

"Frank." But instead of returning the slight glare, she decides to complete her end of the deal. She, unlike Frank, does not wait until the last second for everything.

She shoves him gently into the wall he was leaning up against, her lips brushing his delicately. It takes a moment for him to react, but she pulls away before anything else can happen. Marlene never specified what type of kiss it had to be anyway.

Lily just happens to be walking down the stairs at that moment, absently thinking about James Potter. When she arrives close to the bottom of the staircase, she takes one look at the very happy Alice standing too close to Frank by the wall, turns around, and hits her head purposefully against the wall.

Alice looks up after enjoying her four seconds of staring into Frank's chocolate brown eyes and sees Lily's red hair hiding her face by the wall. She smirks, both at Lily and Frank's reaction.

"Should I ask?" Frank questions, eyeing Lily too.

"I have courage…" She's beaming as she says it, savoring the words and what they mean.

"I always knew that." Frank says it with a smile.

"But I don't usually. But since I did, now Lily has to as well." Alice moves kiss him again, Lily slamming her head against the wall again.

"Alice?" Frank breaks away to question Lily's frustration. "What does Lily have to do?"

"Nothing but taking a little initiative!" She yells the last two words loudly, Lily turning to walk back to her room and smother herself. Alice has held up her end of the deal and that means she has to hold up her own or face Marlene's punishment, which could only be worse.

Instead of reaching her room, she runs into Marlene. The brunette chuckles, stopping mid-strut.

"How's the courage plan going?"

"Wonderful. Alice has got Frank up against a wall and I'm going to go throw myself into one. Again." Lily frowns, fiddling with a loose strand of hair. Marlene continues walking, a big grin on her face. Lily slams her head into the wall one last time before following her.

On her way down to breakfast, she makes a pit stop at the Prefect's bathroom in one last attempt to gain some sanity. At the over-sized, marble sink, she takes a handful of water and splashes it on her face.

"You are not going through with this," she tells herself confidently. Yet, she really does want to kiss James Potter, just once, if only to see what it's like. It is not like he is pure awful- she does like him, but it's not a mutual feeling. He just likes her for the chase. With a final inspection of the mirror, Lily walks down to breakfast to attempt the unthinkable.

Alice and Marlene both watch her walk in, determination tightening her face. Lily's swift footsteps are leading her right to James Potter. He doesn't even see her come in- too busy laughing at how much food Remus and Sirius were sharing. Which is why when Lily grabs him by the shoulders, spins him around, and kisses him, he is completely unaware.

The whole hall falls silent. A few of the first years giggle, but most are too stunned. Alice is grinning, exchanging a look with Marlene. James's fellow Marauders' shock is nothing compared to his own. A chorus of whispers breaks out as Lily turns and walks out of the Great Hall, James following not far behind.

"Lily!" James shouts, finally catching up to her in the hallway. She turns sharply, almost bumping into him.

"That," she growls, "…that was a momentary lapse of sanity, alright? Never, _ever_ again."

"Lily." It's then she notices the downcast look on his face and the fallen hope in his eyes.

"It was a deal. Marlene wanted Alice and me to have some courage so we could stop whining about our boy troubles and Alice held up her end of the bargain which means I have to hold up mine but I think I hit my head too ma…mph!" Lily's rambles are cut off by James's lips on hers. This isn't at all like the kiss she gave him. This one's fiery, yet sweet.

"Remind me to thank Marlene for your courage." James laughs.

"Or a brick wall."

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A/N: Reviews and contstructive critcism would be loved. Flames are not welcome. 


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